Cycle of Our Souls: Heart's Thunder
by Moon Raven2
Summary: In the third episode of this series, Lita struggles against her attraction to stargazer Neil Forrester, and all the senshi despair over finding a cure for Serena's coma.
1. Heart's Thunder 1

Cycle of Our Souls: Heart's Thunder  
Part I

Moon Raven

aka, M is or Mars

* * *

As promised, it's about Lita. And, yes, once again my inspiration came in the form of a song, this time by Del Amitri. It'll be in here somewhere later on. 

This story is a sequel to "Cycle of Our Souls: Heart's Love," and is the third chapter in the "Cycle of Our Souls" series. The next (and final) chapter is "Cycle of Our Souls: Heart of Ice," about Amy and Zoicite.

Oh, almost forgot... per usual, text between the lines of "---asterisk---" symbols is Lita's thoughts and takes place in the present, right between SMR and SMS. Anything else is a few weeks in the past.

Review me! I love hearing everyone's opinion's, positive or negative! Thanks. :)

* * *

It was such a beautiful day, the type that makes the heart ache with longing... longing to be apart of it, longing to share it with someone. The latter was most prevalent in Lita Kino's heart as she stared out the window of her apartment. She sighed and ran a hand through her long brown hair, down from its ponytail for once, and turned back to stare at the Post-It stuck to her refrigerator. "Freddy..." she whispered, the name calling up images she had been struggling to forget for years. 

There had been a message from him that afternoon on her answering machine, and she had written his number down and stuck it to the door of her fridge. She told herself a thousand times not to call him, but she couldn't keep her eyes away from the yellow square of paper. "He broke your heart, you idiot!" she muttered. "He left you standing in the rain! He told you he didn't like tall girls. You're still tall, stupid... even taller now!"

It was no use. She knew the moment she heard that familiar voice on her machine that she was going to call him back. She knew she would agree to meet him if that's what he wanted. Hell, despite what she kept telling herself, she knew she'd never really gotten over Freddy. Weren't her friends always complaining that she compared every cute guy she saw to him?

With a sigh, Lita picked up the phone and dialed the number written on the Post-It.

---insert line of asterisks here---

Freddy, Freddy, Freddy... the bane of my existence, honestly. I don't know if I was in love with him. I mean, I barely knew him and I was so young... but what I felt, I felt strongly. He broke my heart, and here I was stupid enough to let him possibly do it again. Why did I call him that day? Why did I agree to have lunch with him?

Gods, Lita Kino, you are an idiot! A true, honest-to-Kami-sama idiot! But he was so cute! Even during that brief phone conversation, even through the recording on my answering machine, the way he said my name sent shivers up my spine. Isn't everyone allowed to be a fool on occasion?

Since this whole thing with Serena began, I haven't been able to think about anything clearly. I laugh at something, and feel guilty about it... who am I to laugh when Serena is dying? I cry over a movie, and feel guilty about _that_, too... why should I be wasting my tears over something silly and fictional? And why should I be wasting my time going to meet Freddy when I should be looking for a way to help my best friend?

I suppose I shouldn't be _too_ angry about it, though. I mean, if it hadn't been for my own stupidity, I never would have met Neil. And Neil is so much more kawaii than Freddy could ever be! Too bad he hated my guts...we hated _each other's_ guts.

---insert line of asterisks here---

"Freddy?" she questioned, although she knew it was. She would recognize him anywhere, truth be told.

He turned around, a smile lighting up his handsome features. "Lita! Wow, you look great! How long's it been?"

She shrugged slightly. "A year, maybe?" Two years, three months and fifteen days, but she sure as hell wasn't going to let him know she'd been counting!

He smiled again and suddenly she felt vaguely sick to her stomach. This had been a mistake, an incredibly stupid mistake. "Hey, look, I'm real sorry about how I acted when we knew each other before. I was a real jerk, ya know?"

Lita answered his smile with one of her own. "It's ok. Things happen."

"You're probably wondering why I called you after all this time, ne? Well, you're friends with that girl who works at Sendai Hill Temple, aren't you? What's her name, Raye?"

She frowned, but nodded. "Yeah, Raye's one of my best friends. Why?"

His grin was sly. "Do you think you could introduce us? She's so damn hot! I was up there the other day with my sister -- she wanted to get a charm or something -- and I nearly fell over when she looked at me."

Lita's green eyes widened in shock. "You want me to introduce you to Raye!" she repeated blankly.

"Yeah! Come on, be a pal!"

She took a step back from him. "I'm not your pal, Freddy. You haven't said word one to me in the two years since you broke my heart, and now suddenly you call to ask me to introduce you to someone!"

"Hey, chill! It's not that big a deal. I know you don't mind, Lita."

"But I do mind! You hurt me, and I thought when you called maybe it was to... to apologize or something. I mean, I know it's been ages, but I thought maybe you'd come to your senses!"

"Wait a minute... you thought... you thought this was a date, didn't you? I told you before, Lita, I don't like you that way. You're just too... too masculine or something."

"_Masculine_?" she asked, incredulous and angry. "I'll show you masculine!" Pulling her arm back, she sent her fist flying into that smug smile on his face. He hit the ground and Lita towered over him. "Raye has a boyfriend, Freddy, someone she loves very much. Besides, she wouldn't go out with a jerk like you anyway. Don't ever call me again, all right?" With that, she turned and made her angry way through the park.

How _dare_ he? What an ass! How could he do something like this! Finding a fairly secluded area, she began picking up rocks and throwing them at the trees with all her might. "Damn him! Damn him, damn him, damn him! And damn me for being so stupid!" One particularly big rock went flying into a bush, and Lita was startled to hear it make an exclamation of pain... and a crash that sounded suspiciously like breaking glass.

"Kuso!" the bush seemed to cry. "What the hell are you doing throwing rocks around in here?" A man stood up from his place behind the shrub rubbing his shoulder angrily.

"What are you doing spying on me!" she challenged.

"I wasn't spying! I was looking for a good place to put my telescope! There's a meteor shower tonight and I intend to watch it."

"You should have told me you were here!"

"You shouldn't have been throwing things!"

"You shouldn't have been spying!"

"I told you--"

"I know. Meteor shower. Where's your telescope?"

"You broke it, baka! That was a two-thousand dollar telescope, and you and your stupid rocks shattered it!"

"How the hell can you find a place for a telescope while hiding in a bush! And who are you calling idiot, idiot?"

He looked as though he wanted to strangle her. "You called yourself stupid not five minutes ago. I was just going by your word!"

Now it was Lita who wanted to strangle him. "Look, Mr...?

"Forrester. Neil Forrester."

"Mr. Forrester, I'm sorry about your little telescope. I didn't mean to break it, but if you had only told me you were here, I wouldn't have bothered you."

"You were too busy cussing and throwing!"

"Oh, and you were what, _afraid_!" she taunted.

He had the height advantage by almost a foot, and he decided to use it, leaning close to her in what was meant to be a frightening manner. "You don't scare me, little girl, not even when you're armed with rocks."

Her spine stiffened and emerald eyes narrowed to slits. "Don't call me 'little girl'," she hissed.

He laughed derisively. "Nai, I guess someone as tall as you are couldn't exactly be called 'little'!"

It was decidedly the _wrong _thing to say. "I should have aimed that rock at your big, stupid head! Why don't you go away and leave me alone, Neil Forrester? I didn't ask you to be hiding in that bush, or playing with your stupid telescope, or looking out for stupid meteor showers!"

"I was here first!" he defended.

"Fine. Then I'll leave!" He grabbed her roughly by the arm as she turned to go, and a hint of panic flashed in her eyes. "Let me go!" she cried, tryingto twist free. He only held on tighter.

"Relax, little girl, I just want your number so I can call you about replacing the telescope," he said with another mocking little laugh.

"Why should I replace it?"

"You broke it."

"You... damn it! Fine!" Jerking her arm from his grasp, she reached into her bag and emerged with pen and paper. "Here! Happy now?" she demanded, handing the information over.

"You're lucky I don't file charges," he replied.

"You're lucky to be alive. Good-bye, Forrester-san, and I hope to never see you again!"

"Yeah, well, the feeling's mutual!" he called after her, reaching up to rub at his sore arm.

It wasn't until she was halfway home that it struck Lita how gorgeous he was. Long, thick, wavy auburn hair... eyes like sapphires... tall... broad shoulders... "But a big zero in the personality department. I sure know how to find 'em, ne?" she muttered to herself.

* * *

"I'm sorry, sir, but I just don't think we can fix this. The lens was specially ground--" 

"I know that," Neil Forrester snapped to the store clerk impatiently. "That's why I brought it here. Are you saying I'm going to have to buy a new one?"

"I'm afraid so, sir."

"Fine. Thank you for your help," he said, his voice heavily laced with sarcasm. Storming from the shop, Neil slammed the door angrily behind him. That stupid girl! It wasn't the money he cared about, it was the telescope itself. It was his design and he'd had it custom built for this particular shower. Now he'd have to use one of his older ones, and that defeated the whole purpose.

She was certainly spirited, though, he found himself grudgingly admitting. There was a moment when he thought she might full-out attack him. He could have dealt with her easily, of course, but still... that takes guts.

_Pretty, too, _an annoying little voice in the back of his head muttered. Pretty? That catamount! She was too much of a damn annoyance to be pretty. But... she did have fairly nice eyes, green as emeralds... and such thick brown hair that he found himself imagining, rather against his will, what it looked like spilling around her head and over the surface of the pillow as she slept.

He shook his head angrily. No way. She was bad news, trouble with a capital "T". He knew better than to even think about getting involved with a girl like that. What kind of idiot stands in the park and throws rocks, anyway?

Her words haunted him: "Damn him! And damn me for being so stupid!" Some guy pissed her off, so she took it out on Neil's poor telescope... not to mention his arm, which was sure to be sporting a huge bruise by the next day. Anger surged in him again. Well, she... what was her name again? He checked  
the paper. _Lita Kino. Nice enough name, too bad she isn't a nicer girl._ Anyway, she was certainly going to be the one to pay for the new telescope, not him!

* * *

"He was so rude! He's even making me pay for him another stupid telescope. Can you believe that! I mean, he was the one hiding in the bushes!" Lita cried angrily to her friends. They were all crammed around a table at the Crown Cafe sharing ice cream sundaes and french fries. 

"Well, Lita... you probably shouldn't have been throwing rocks," Amy Anderson said cautiously.

"I checked to make sure no one was around! Excuse me for not having x-ray vision: I couldn't see through the bush."

"Why did you agree to meet with Freddy anyway? He was such a jerk to you before... did you think he'd be any different?" Mina Aino asked.

Lita shrugged. "I don't know. It was stupid, ne? But this is bad even for him."

"I can't believe he wanted you to introduce him to me! What a jerk. Why didn't he just come introduce himself?" Raye Hino demanded.

"He was scared of you, firefly," Jay Dalinger said with a grin. "It took me nearly two weeks to get up the nerve to talk to you."

The dark-haired girl stuck her tongue out at him and pulled the sundae closer with a glare. "Yeah, and then you almost blew it."

"So what does this guy look like?" Mina said excitedly. "Is he kawaii?"

"He's a jerk, Mina! He's rude and loud and mean..."

"All that doesn't matter to Mina," Malachy Levinworth said. "I mean, she's with me, isn't she?"

"Hmmmmph," Lita grumped, "there's hardly a comparison. You're a prince compared to this guy! Hell, anyone is a prince compared to Neil Forrester!"

Mal frowned. "I don't really take that as a compliment, Lita."

She ignored him and just sat staring at the door, mouth agape. "Oh Gods that's him!" she whispered. Sure enough: Neil Forrester was standing at the door of the small restaurant looking for an empty table.

"Nani?" Mina cried, peering over her shoulder.

"Don't look! Mina! Oh Gods, I don't want him to see me."

Darien Chiba, Serena's boyfriend, laughed, a sound they hadn't heard from him in a long time. "Don't worry, Lita, we'll protect you!"

"Ooooh," the blond said, "he _is_ kawaii!"

"He is _not_, Mina! Oh kuso, here he comes!"

Raye looked like she was about to bust from holding in her laughter. "Lita, he's just a guy! Come on, he can't be that bad."

"Well, well, if it isn't Little Miss Rock Toss," Neil said, coming up to their table.

Lita shot him her most lethal glare. "Well, well, if it isn't Little Mr. Peeping Tom! How's the arm?" she said, her voice dripping with sweetness.

"Great, actually. I don't mind having a bruise the size of a small potato."

"Come a little closer," she said in the same tone as before, "and I'll give you several more."

"Are these your friends? Don't tell me they enjoy bludgeoning innocent star-gazers, too."

"Hey, she said it was an accident. Why don't you just lighten up?" Raye said, beginning to get as angry as Lita.

"Can't fight your own battles, Kino-san?" he taunted.

She jumped up, sending her chair flying. "I've had about as much as I can take of you, Neil Forrester! You want a fight? Fine!"

"Whoa, Lita! Come on," Malachy said, grabbing her arm, "relax. He's just trying to goad you."

Mina retrieved her chair and Lita sat back down in a huff. Neil just laughed. "I'll see you around, little girl," he called over his shoulder as he sailed out the door.

"See?" the brunette demanded, shoving a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "He's such an ass! Gods, what I wouldn't give to send a Thunder Dragon right down his stupid throat... or, better yet, right up his--"

"Lita!" Amy cried before she could finish the thought.

"I think he likes you," Mina said with a grin.

Lita nearly exploded. "Mina, you airhead! Weren't you listening? He insults me every chance he gets!"

"Did you notice he didn't buy anything?" Amy said. "He just came in, talked to you, then left."

"Yep, I definitely think he likes you. I mean, look how mean Darien was to Serena before they got together."

"But I _didn't_ like her. Luckily I changed my mind," he said with a sad smile.

She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and turned back to the other girl. "Well then maybe Neil will change his mind, too! And I bet you'll start to like him just as much, Lita."

"Never! The second I pay him for that stupid telescope, I'm never speaking to him again! There's no way I could fall for a guy like that."

"You fell for Freddy," Raye pointed out.

Lita gave her a go-to-Hell look but otherwise ignored the comment. "I'm sorry, Mina, but you're wrong about this. Neil Forrester is a no-good, rude, stuck-up jerk. I'm not stupid like I used to be, and there's no way in Hell I'd ever fall for him!"

Famous last words.

End I


	2. Heart's Thunder 2

Cycle of Our Souls: Heart's Thunder   
Part II 

Raven Moon   


* * *

Disclaimers and the like:   
The characters mentioned in this story do not belong to me, and I'm not making any money with this. 

* * *

  
"They say patience is a saintly virtue,   
But why should I wait   
Till the clouds go rain on some other sucker's parade?"   
-from "Some Other Sucker's Parade" by Del Amitri   


* * *

@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-   
"It's just that I'm tired of worrying about it," Princess Rei of Mars told her friend, Makoto of Jupiter. "They'll be here, everyone will talk and bow and carry on, and then they'll leave. What's the big deal?" The Guardian Senshi of Princess Serenity of the Moon were on their way to the receiving hall of the Moon Palace to meet Prince Endymion of Earth and his guardian generals. All except Rei seemed thrilled by this idea, and the dark-haired Martian wasn't one to keep her opinions to herself. 

Makoto rolled her eyes. "I saw the look on your face when Ami-chan showed us those pictures. You were just as impressed as the rest of us." 

Rei made an indignant little noise. "You're acting as if the men we have here on the moon aren't good enough or something. Why should we have to drool over these guys just because they're from Earth?" 

"We aren't drooling over then because they're from Earth, Rei-chan," Minako, the Venusian Princess, explained, "we're drooling over them because they're completely gorgeous!" 

Makoto giggled. "Come on, Rei-chan, you can't fool us. Aren't you just a teeny bit interested in Lord Jadeite? Or maybe... Lord Zoisite?" 

Rei arched a dark eyebrow. "And why not Lords Nephrite or Malachite?" 

"I have dibs on Malachite!" Minako cried. 

"And Nephrite..." Makoto blushed. "Nephrite seems the most interesting to me." 

"I'm looking forward to speaking with Lord Zoisite," Ami, the quiet Mercurial, spoke up. "His intelligence is rather legendary... and I've heard he isn't too bad at chess, either." She grinned at her friends and blushed slightly. 

They had reached the receiving hall by this time, and they fell in to a quiet line before Queen and Princess Serenity. Minako leaned over and whispered to Mako, "Do you think they're as kawaii as everyone says they are?" 

"Nai; no one's as cute as everyone says _they_ are." _Or even as cute as a picture would have us believe,_ she thought. Just then the five men appeared before them in a flash of light and Makoto muttered, "I was wrong." She stared at each one in turn, wide-eyed, and was barely able to make a proper curtsey when Queen Serenity called her name. As she had suspected, it was Nephrite who drew her eye most often: tall, regal, and commanding, he seemed the perfect match for her sometimes brusque, forceful ways. 

The queen volunteered the senshi to show the generals around, and Princess Serenity was only too quick to agree. They all wandered around for a bit, uncomfortable and nervous, but eventually Makoto "found" herself next to Lord Nephrite. She said nothing at first, just stared at the ground as though paving stones were the most interesting creatures in the Universe. Finally she glanced up at him and smiled. "I'm Makoto... and you're Lord Nephrite, ne?" 

A smile flashed through his sapphire eyes. "Hai, but, please, don't call me 'Lord'. I hate formalities." 

"Oh, me too! It just seems like a big, silly, waste of time to me." She kicked at a rock and glanced up at the dark sky before looking back at him. "We have a wonderful planetarium with a huge telescope. Would you like to see it?" The surprise was evident on his face, so she said, "I've heard that you have great interest in the stars. I'm not confusing you with someone else, am I?" 

"Of course not. The heavens are my area of expertise as much as roses are Jadeite's. I would love to see this planetarium of yours." 

They made their way past the lavish gardens and beautiful fountains in complete silence, and Makoto realized that she was going to have to be the one to get the conversation rolling. "So... is Earth not good enough for you?" she asked. 

"Excuse me?" he said, a little astonished at the sudden, strange question. 

Makoto's green eyes widened as she realized how harsh that must've sounded. "I mean... Gomen nasai, that's not what I meant. I only mean, why the stars? What makes you want to look beyond your own world?" 

He smiled a little, embarrassed. "Earth is a beautiful place, but so are many others planets in the Universe. This is the first time any of us besides Endymion have ever left our home planet, so in the mean time I've had to explore the only way I could -- with a telescope and my imagination." 

She glanced up at him -- that was actually a wonderful feeling, being able to look _up_ to a guy -- and said, "On the Moon, and Jupiter too, actually, we believe that the stars can tell your future, and the alignment of them at your birth can tell a lot about the person you are." 

He nodded. "Hai, we believe the same thing on Earth. The movement of the stars controls everything, Makoto-san, remember that." 

His intense tone startled her, and she looked away quickly. "Well, here we are," she said with a gesture to the magnificent blue crystal building rising before them. It seemed to shimmer in the strange, silver light of the moon, and the full Earth was reflected like a sapphire mounted on black velvet. 

Nephrite drew in a breath. "Well, if the inside is anything to compare to _this_, then you Lunars truly do know how to build a planetarium." 

She blushed as though the compliment had been directed solely at her, and said, "Well, let's see, shall we?" The doors opened at their approach, and guards nodded respectfully to the Princess of Jupiter. "I come here a lot late at night," she whispered to Nephrite. "It's so much nicer to be alone. I point the telescope at Jupiter and..." she trailed off, blushing furiously. 

"And what?" he asked, fascinated by this tall, blunt, beautiful (though he would never admit it) girl despite himself. 

"And just... talk. Sometimes. Well... it's just that I get homesick a lot here. The Moon is so much different than Jupiter, the people are so gentle and tiny... fragile like little birds... and everyone is so damn formal and quiet and serene. Sometimes I miss the hectic, loud, bustling world I come from. No one is quiet, formal, serene or gentle there." Her grin stretched from ear to ear and he couldn't help but return it. 

"I know that feeling quite well. Elysian, the center of the Golden Kingdom, is a truly beautiful place, but--" 

"It's not home," she said with a smile. 

"Exactly," he agreed. 

"So where is your home?" she asked after a moment. 

"I'll show you... how does this telescope work?" 

She showed him and then grinned happily. "Ami-chan would fall over backwards to see me working a computer so well. She thinks I don't pay attention to a word she says, but it's just because she bores the hell out of me." 

He laughed. "Hai, the four of us are constant strains on poor Zoisite's patience. We know anything and everything about the things _we_ like... but hardly anything about the things _he_ likes!" The telescope was moving slowly into place, centered on Earth, the planet's surface covered in lovely white clouds, blue oceans and brown landmasses. 

Makoto gave a little sigh. "It's so lovely. I've never been there, but I would give almost anything to visit for just one day!" 

Nephrite looked over at her and smiled. She stood just in front of him, hands clasped, head back as she stared up at the huge projection screen. Frankly, he couldn't imagine anyone much more beautiful than she was at that moment... and nothing surprised him more. He cleared his throat and looked back down at the computer screen, cheeks on fire. "Ah... yes, it's a very nice place to live." As though by divine inspiration, he glanced up just as she was turning around to look at him and he said, "Perhaps... perhaps one day I could take you there." 

Mako's eyes widened and she felt as though she were about to lift up off the ground. "I... I would enjoy that, Nephrite-san," she was finally able to spit out. 

They stood there, blue eyes staring into green ones, for a long time until finally he broke the connection as his eyes moved back to the view screen. "There... do you see that very large landmass to the right? That's North America, my homeland. I am prince there." 

_That_ was something Makoto hadn't known. "If you're a prince, why do you call yourself 'General' and work for Endymion-san?" 

He grinned. "The same reason you call yourself 'Senshi' and work for Queen Serenity-sama, I suppose: for the good of your kingdom." 

"Unity is Strength," she murmured, quoting the motto of her home planet. She turned back to him again, a gentle smile lighting her pretty face. "The Silver Millennium and Golden Kingdom are not so different. I hope this trip will help everyone see that." 

"As do I, Makoto-san," he said quietly. 

She frowned slightly and blushed. "My... my friends call me 'Mako-chan'." 

He grinned and ran a hand through thick, wavy auburn hair. "I'm honored, Mako-chan."   
@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@- 

"How is she?" Lita heard Mina ask from the main room of the temple. 

"No change," Raye replied in a subdued voice. 

"I talked to her mother today," Amy said hesitantly. 

Lita groaned inwardly and turned her ears away from the conversation. Ikuko and Kenji Tsukino had been the two biggest challenges in this whole thing, naturally. How could they explain to Serena's parents that some dark energy had taken control of their daughter's soul? Amy had been put in charge of Operation Parental Deception, and she was _not_ happy about it. 

The brunette shook her head and stared down at her blond friend's immobile form. It had been nearly a week since that nightmarish evening when they'd discovered her nearly lifeless body, and the strain was beginning to show even in cheerful, perky Mina. Lita herself felt as though she was being torn in two. What were they going to do? Raye reported that the Darkness was growing stronger every day... and Darien was a basket-case! Not that she could blame him; they were all on the verge of losing it. 

No one had ever realized how important Serena was to the group. She was the one link they all had to one another. She was Sailor Moon, the Princess... and they hadn't been able to protect her. Lita blamed herself more than anything. She felt so stupid and helpless... Amy was the doctor, Raye the spiritualist, Mina the moral officer... and she was just Lita. All the physical strength and delicious food in the world wasn't going to help Serena, and those were the two things she knew best. 

Suddenly the small room seemed to shrink around her, and the air became thick and hard to breathe. _Gods, I've got to get out of here before I go crazy!_ Lita thought, jumping up from her cushion beside the futon. She hurried into the main room of the temple and past her astonished friends. "Need a walk," she mumbled, nearly stumbling in her haste to get away. 

On the porch she took long, deep breaths of fresh air and relaxed slightly. Frankly, she didn't know if any of them were going to make it through this situation alive. With a sad sigh, she made her way down the steps and through the cherry orchard, the trees all gone to leaf in the summer heat. She hummed a little tune under her breath and closed her eyes as she walked, just enjoying the heat of the sun on her upturned face. Suddenly her foot hit something and she went flying to the ground with a cry. 

"Hey, watch where you're going!" a voice cried. 

Lita lay there in the grass and suddenly burst into tears. _Neil Forrester... oh, Kami-sama, do You really hate me so much? Why him? Why now?_

There was a long, uncomfortable silence while she cried, and finally Neil said, "I... hey... come on... don't cry... gomen nasai, it was my fault. I saw you and I didn't move, and... are you hurt? Here, let me help you up." 

His tone was concerned, but she only heard mocking as he reached down to take her arm. She wrenched away from his grasp and sat up sharply. "I'm fine," she hissed. "Please just leave me alone." 

He ran a hand through his long, wavy auburn hair and frowned down at her. "I've seen fine, Kino-san, and it didn't look anything like you do right now." He knelt down beside her and offered a strange little half smile. "I know I haven't been very nice to you so far, but... well, I don't like to see anyone cry. Did you hurt yourself, or is it something else?" 

She turned her face away and wished she had her hair down to hide behind. "I'm not hurt," she finally told him, her voice still edged with anger. "I just wasn't looking where I was going." 

Clearing his throat, he offered her a hand, which she took grudgingly. Standing up, he said hesitantly, "Kino-san... I... I mean... well... you don't have to pay me for that telescope. I have another one almost just like it, and the money isn't really important anyway. I was just angry at having my plans spoiled." 

She jerked her hand from his and frowned. "I'll pay you, Forrester-san, you don't have to worry about that. I broke the blasted thing... technically... so it is my responsibility... technically." 

He grinned a bit sheepishly. "Yeah, well, _technically_ I shouldn't've been hiding in that bush to see what the hell a girl like you would have to throw rocks about." 

Lita stepped back, eyes wide. "What are you talking about?" 

"Uh... well... it's just that I saw you coming, see, and you were really angry, as I'm sure you remember, and I just... wondered what had pissed you off so much. I never thought it would lead to what it did." 

"So you _were_ eavesdropping on me!" she cried. 

"Technically," he admitted. 

"You jerk! Here I thought I had ruined your precious telescope and wounded an innocent man--" 

"You _did_ ruin my telescope!" he said, indignant. 

"Only because you were hiding in the stupid bush to watch me! Of all the moronic, rude--" 

"And throwing rocks is the intelligent, _polite_ thing to do?" 

"You could have left!" 

"I didn't want to!" 

"Then don't blame me for your bruised arm and broken telescope!" 

"Why shouldn't I? If you hadn't looked so damned... so damned _beautiful_, I never would've stayed!" 

Lita opened her mouth to retort, but then shut it again with an audible _clack_. A hint of pink made its way across her cheeks, but she wasn't sure if it was from anger or... happiness. "You are the biggest idiot I have ever met, Neil Forrester," she finally said, but the words came out with less conviction than she would've liked. 

"Yeah, well, at least I don't walk through cherry orchards with my eyes closed." 

"At least I don't intentionally trip people." 

"I didn't--" he began. 

"You said you saw me coming," she told him with a smug grin. 

He laughed and conceded defeat on that point, but then his sapphire eyes became dark and serious. "Kino-san... I didn't mean to make you cry. Honestly." 

She smiled slightly. "It wasn't your fault... you were just kinda the last straw. It's been a really crappy day." 

"Anything you want to talk about?" 

Hesitating, she finally said, "Just... a really good friend of mine is very sick. No one knows what to do to help her and we're all going a little nuts with worry." 

He nodded slowly. "Hai, I understand how that is. Gomen nasai." 

"Arigato," she said after a moment, taken aback by his sincerity. Was this the same Neil Forrester who had been arguing with her only moments before? She almost couldn't believe it was. "Well... anyway... I should be getting back now. My friends will be wondering where I am." 

She turned to go. "Ah, Kino-san, matte... I was wondering... you remember that meteor shower I was telling you about?" 

"Hai," she said, amused. How could she forget, after the fuss he'd put up about the telescope? 

"Well, I was wondering if you would care to come watch with me this weekend. I'll be in the park, like I told you before, and... I would like some company. _Your_ company, namely... if you'd be willing." 

********************************   
He asked me to go watch that silly meteor shower with him and I said I would think about it. See? I told you I'm a moron. I'll _think_ about? Why didn't I just say yes like I wanted to? Damn stupid pride. He pissed me off, and then he called me beautiful... and I didn't know what to do. No one has ever called me beautiful before... at least not a guy... and _definitely_ not like that. 

And another thought occurred to me. I know I had never seen Nephrite before, but... well, it seems an awfully strange coincidence that Raye meets a guy and he's Jadeite, then Mina meets a guy and he's Malachite... and then _I_ meet a guy? It was weird to think that Neil Forrester might be my soul mate the same way Malachy is for Mina, Jay is for Raye and Darien is for Serena. I didn't want to think about it. I just wanted to go to that stupid meteor shower with him and have fun. 

But how can anyone have fun with a guy as infuriating as Neil Forrester?! He argued with everything I said, teased me constantly, and wouldn't call me anything but "Kino-san". That probably annoyed me the most. Was he _above_ calling me by my first name or something? Baka. 

But those eyes... that hair... that laugh... he didn't laugh much back then, but when he did it was magical. So I'm back to square one, ne? Being a moron... and I am the world's _biggest_ moron when it comes to guys.   
************************************ 

End II 


	3. Heart's Thunder 3

Cycle of Our Souls: Heart's Thunder   
Part III 

Raven Moon   


* * *

Disclaimers and the like:   
The characters mentioned in this story do not belong to me, and I'm not making any money with it. 

In other news... Justin Currie -- front man, song writer, and cool guy extraordinaire -- from Del Amitri makes a cameo in this section. Why? For the hell of it. I just have this thing about scruffy Scottish guys... sigh> Ewan McGregor... hmm? Oh, the story. Right. Anyway, Justin is the guy in the park singing "Mother Nature's Writing." The song is by him, copyrighted to him and otherwise owned by _him_. I love him and would never try to make money off his work without permission so... please don't sue me, Justin! 

Tell me what you think.   


* * *

"So... um... what got you interested in the stars?" Lita asked, trying to cover the awkward silence that had hovered between them since Neil Forrester picked her up at her apartment earlier that evening. 

He glanced up from the telescope he was adjusting and smiled brightly. Lita swore she felt her heart skip a beat, but she tried valiantly to ignore it as he said, "Nothing in particular, really. I just... looked up one night and realized how beautiful the sky truly is. It's a shame that so many people go through life looking down when such spectacular sites are right above them." 

She nodded. "I guess most people don't have time to look up. They're too busy watching where they're going so they don't trip or anything." 

He chuckled deep in his chest and she felt a flush of pleasure heating her cheeks. "I guess some of us," he said lightheartedly, "watch more carefully than others, ne?" 

Biting back a retort -- she _did_ realize he was only kidding -- Lita laughed softly. "Oh look!" she cried, pointing skyward, "I just saw one!" 

"Hai," he agreed, peering through the telescope. "Come here." 

"Oh! There are so many! I'm surprised you can see this well with all the light pollution and everything." 

"That's why I chose this spot," he explained. "It's one of the darkest in the entire park. I would normally drive out away from the city to find a place, but these days my work keeps me here." 

"Your work?" she asked, glancing up from the lens. "What do you do?" 

He grinned and ran a hand through his thick auburn hair. "Guess." 

"Um... you're a telescope salesman!" 

He threw back his head and laughed long and loud at her mocking tone. "Nai," he said once he had regained control of himself, "but you're close. I own a computer programming business. We design astronomy software and computer components for orbital and land-bound observation stations." 

"Oh," she said. Computers weren't really her thing, but she didn't want him to think she didn't care. "My friend Amy would probably love that... she's a genius." 

"A genius, huh? That's pretty high praise." 

Lita shrugged and peered through the telescope once more. "It's the truth. She's always first in our class, and she can't stand getting any grade lower than perfect. Her IQ is over three-hundred. It's funny, because my friends Serena and Mina are just the opposite. They aren't stupid, I mean, but they don't really like school and their grades... well, Serena, at least, is always at the very bottom of the class!" 

He smiled warmly and said, "Where do you all go to school?" 

"Well, Serena, Amy and I go to Juuban Junior High, but Mina's at Shibakouen Junior High and Raye goes to T*A Catholic School. I think that's funny, really, because she's a miko!" 

"You're... in _middle_ school?" he demanded, stunned. 

Moving slowly and deliberately, she straightened up and turned to face him, back stiff, jaw set. "Yeah. So?" 

"Uh... um... nothing. It's just... surprising, that's all. I mean, you look a lot older than middle school." 

She relaxed, but only a little bit. "I've had to grow up fast. My parents died in a plane crash when I was younger, and I've been on my own ever since." 

"I'm sorry about your parents, Kino-san. I never knew mine." 

The gentle sadness in his tone surprised her, and her face softened into a kind smile. "I guess we have a little more in common than we thought. I was always a loner until I met Serena and her friends." She sighed and looked away. "Serena is the friend I was worried about when I ran into you at the temple the other day." 

"Do they still not know what's wrong with her?" he asked carefully, knowing this was a difficult subject for her. 

She stared out across the lake, chewing her lower lip and wondering how much to tell him. How far could she trust Neil Forrester? Not with the whole truth, certainly, but a little portion of it couldn't hurt... "Hai, we do, but we don't know how to make it better... or even if we _can_ make it better," she said at last. 

"We?" he asked, surprised. 

_Shimatta._ "I mean, collectively. The doctors, her family, her friends... we're all doing everything we can," she covered quickly. 

"Ah, of course." He glanced up at the sky with a frown and said, "The moon will be rising soon, and it's a full one tonight. We'll not be able to see anything after that. Perhaps you'd like to get something to eat?" 

Relieved at the change of subject, she spun around enthusiastically. "Food would be great! I'm starving!" 

He packed up the telescope and they walked silently through the park together, enjoying the warm night air and the bright, young moonlight. "Why the stars and not the moon?" she asked, watching the silver disk as it made its slow, nearly imperceptible ascent. 

"Man has already been to the moon," he replied simply. 

"True... but... there's still much to be learned up there. My favorite planet is Jupiter, though." 

"Jupiter? Why?" 

She gave him a sweet, secret smile and said, "I have my reasons." Sprinting ahead of him, she looked back over her shoulder and called, "Last one to the fountain buys dinner!" 

Laughing -- and never one to resist a challenge -- Neil hurried to catch up with her. "I'm the one who asked, baka, so I'm the one who pays!" 

"Keep running like that and you _will_ be the one who pays!" They ran along the paths, each leaf and branch and stone limned in silver from the moonlight, to the large, open area at the center of the park. 

The fountain was huge and beautiful and sparkling, and the clearing was empty except for a man tuning his guitar, the case open on the pavement, a few coins glinting dully in the light. Afraid of startling the man, Lita almost slowed, but the close sounds of Neil's footfalls kept her moving. She reached out to touch the wet stone of the fountain's base, but at that moment Neil grabbed her around the waist and pulled. 

"Hey!" she cried indignantly. "Cheater! Let go!" 

He laughed and turned them both around so that his back was to the water. "Well, Kino-san? Think you can get past me?" 

"Of course I can!" She dashed quickly to the left, but he was there to block her. She went right, he went right. She faked right, went left, and he was _there_, too! Then a mischievous idea flashed through her mind. She grinned sweetly before throwing her arms around him, splashing her hand through the cold water as she pressed up against him. "I win." 

Surprised, he laughed brightly. "Hai, I guess you do." 

A sudden chill breeze blew past them and Lita shivered slightly, glancing up at the sky with a frown. "What the hell...? It looks like it might storm!" 

Unconsciously wrapping his arms around her, he followed her gaze. "That was sudden," he remarked as lightning bit through the sky. 

She leaned closer to his warmth just as the guitar man finished tuning and began to play. The song was slow, but charged with something deep and rich, almost like the words themselves contained electricity. And the man's voice! Strong, dusky, eloquent... she imagined that even without the power of the song behind it, the sound would send shivers up her spine. 

_"Open up your eyes,_   
_Everything is crying out,_   
_'This could be your time!'_   
_She fell out of the sky._   
_Must every star be working on heavenly designs?"_

Neil glanced down, almost startled to find Lita nestled so snugly in his arms, fitting so perfectly against his chest... she was so soft and warm and beautiful. He could almost drown in the bright green of her amazing eyes, could lose himself in the sweet rose scent of her thick chestnut hair, could die happily against the softness of her gentle lips... 

_"A crooked line of lightning,_   
_A silent movie moon._   
_Mother Nature's writing to you."_

Lightning... the moon... she could see the former reflected in the deep sapphire of his eyes, could feel the power of the latter singing through her blood as she stared up at him. Gods, he was so... so... how had she not seen this side of him before? This gentleness, this kindness, this caring? 

_"So button up your lip;_   
_You don't get many chances in between the tides._   
_The weather's rolling in:_   
_In a minute flat you'll be soaking wet,_   
_So kiss her while it's dry."_

With a wry smile, Neil wondered if the man wasn't reading his mind. Would she belt him if he kissed her? Would she find something worse than rocks to throw at him? Her lips were parted slightly, her chest gently heaving against his, and he felt it was an invitation he couldn't resist. Leaning down, he pressed his mouth against hers and was lost. 

_"A crooked line of lightning,_   
_A silent movie moon._   
_Mother Nature's writing to you."_

The kiss stunned her, turned her knees to jelly and her insides to lava. She tangled her fingers in his thick, wavy hair and devoured his firm lips and hot tongue with her own. _Forever... gods, please let this last forever! _she thought incoherently as his mouth moved to her throat. 

"Lita, oh, Lita..." he whispered over and over, not even aware of what he was saying, only aware of who he was saying it _to_, only knowing that he wanted to never let her go. 

The sound of her name falling from his lips sent shocks through her, and she was suddenly fervently glad that he had never used it before. Thunder rumbled warningly, lightning flashed around them, but neither cared, not even when the rain began to pour down. Nothing could penetrate the world they had created beside the fountain... nothing, that is, but a beep from Lita's communicator. 

"No, no, not now!" she muttered angrily. 

"What is that?" he asked, pulling away slightly. "Your beeper?" 

She frowned. "Something like that. I..." she sighed wearily, suddenly hating Sailor Jupiter with a passion, "I know my friends wouldn't be paging me unless it was important. I should go." 

He let her go reluctantly and stepped back. "I still owe you dinner." 

She smiled ruefully. "How about a rain check?" The communicator beeped again, and she knew the others would be getting antsy. "Tomorrow!" she called, sprinting away, "I promise!" 

He watched her go with a frown and a shake of his head. Lita Kino was positively the _strangest_ girl he had ever met. 

End III   



	4. Heart's Thunder 4

Cycle of Our Souls: Heart's Thunder   
Part IV 

Raven Moon   


* * *

Disclaimers, notes, etc.:   
Sailor Moon and characters contained therein do not belong to me. It's really not a terribly complex concept. :) 

Enjoy!!   


* * *

@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-   
"I just can't wait for the ball tomorrow!! Queen Serenity asked me to consult with the chefs about the menu, and oh, Nephrite, it's going to be so wonderful! We'll dance and we'll eat and we'll laugh... the others are all so excited and... nani? What's so funny? I guess I am prattling a little bit... kinda like Minako, ne?" 

He chuckled deeply and ran a large hand through his wavy auburn hair. "Malachite says she nearly talks his ear off. She seems sweet, though." They were stretched out, side by side, beneath the sprawling cherry trees of Queen Serenity's private orchard. 

Concerned, Makoto wrinkled her nose in a frown. "Yeah... if you like sweet, I guess. People don't usually describe me as _sweet_." 

"That's because they don't know you well enough. You're perfectly sweet once someone has a chance to get past that prickly outside." 

"'Prickly outside'!" she cried, sitting up suddenly and whapping him on the chest. "I do not have a prickly outside!!" She hesitated, frowning and chewing on the end of her ponytail. "Do I?" she asked at last. 

Rubbing his chest with a glower, he said, "No, Mako-chan, you just enjoy beating people to bruised pulps, that's all." 

"That's not funny, Nephrite. Do you really think I'm... I'm too boyish? I don't do my hair or wear fancy clothes like the others, and I always enjoy a good fight... but I'm not... weird, am I?" 

He frowned, realizing that she was really upset. "Listen, my passionate little star, you can't pay heed to a word I say. You should know that by now. You're strong, you know what you want, and you're not afraid to go after it. That intimidates a lot of people, but you can't let weak fools tell you who to be." 

The term of endearment surprised her so much that she heard not a word after that, though the general idea he was trying to express came across loud and clear. "You're a pretty smart guy, Lord Nephrite," she said with a sudden grin. "Wanna go to Queen Serenity's ball with me?" 

He laughed deeply and plucked a silvery-pink cherry blossom from the tangle of her silky brown ponytail. "Nothing in all the Universe would give me greater pleasure, Lady Makoto." 

* * *

Makoto frowned at her reflection and ran the silver brush through her hair again. Minako had insisted she wear it down, but that just felt strange to her. How was a person supposed to do anything with her hair in her face all the time? What a pain. Though she had to admit that it did look nice... and Nephrite would probably like it. Not that that was any reason to do anything! But still... the thought did cross her mind. 

A quick peek out the window showed Earth to already be high and full in the sky. "Shimatta!" she cried, realizing that she had missed the opening ceremonies -- the Queen's parties always started at Earthrise. Throwing on a filmy shawl -- "so girlie!" she had remarked upon seeing it for the first   
time -- the princess of Jupiter hurried from her chamber to the Ball Room. 

She had no sooner stepped through the arched, intricately carved doorway than Lord Malachite was at her side. "Lady Makoto," he said formally, "perhaps you would like to dance?" 

With a smile and a wicked gleam in her emerald eyes, Mako accepted the hand he offered. "Yes, thank you, though I must warn that I'm much better at ice skating than dancing!" 

He grinned. "They're very similar, I'm sure, Lady." 

They spun out onto the dance floor, and she soon found that Malachite was an excellent partner. Minako was certainly lucky! Speaking of... "Where is a certain little blond friend of yours?" 

"I'm afraid she has left me for Zoisite. Lady Ami does not seem to upset about it, either, as she has absconded with Jadeite." 

"Oh dear; I hope Rei-chan doesn't catch them together!" 

"But that's the genius of it, Lady Jupiter: Nephrite is currently occupying your Martian Princess." 

Makoto laughed delightedly. "Nephrite won't know what hit him!" she cried over the soaring music of the waltz. "Oh, and look, Lord Malachite! The Prince and Princess seem so happy together." 

Malachite glanced up to see the royal couple dancing slowly, as though caught up in a world all their own, and Mako couldn't miss the slight shadow that crossed his handsome features. "Indeed," he said softly, "very happy." The music ended and Malachite stepped away with a bow. "It's been lovely, Lady Makoto, but I should get back to Mi'ko-chan before she drags me away by my cape." 

She was still frowning after him when she felt Nephrite take her elbow. "That Jadeite is one lucky guy, but I still think I'm the most fortunate. How'd you enjoy your dance with Mal-kun? A little stiff, isn't he?" 

"That was odd..." she said vaguely, completely ignoring him. "He had the strangest look on his face when I said something about Serena and Endymion... it was like it bothered him somehow. Why would that be, Nephrite?" 

He glanced warily at the royal couple and then back to her worried face. "It's nothing to concern yourself with tonight, Makoto. There are... problems on Earth, and we--" he was interrupted by a happy, laughing couple jostling them from behind as they twirled through the intricate dance steps. "Perhaps we could continue this somewhere a little more private?" 

Outside the night was clear and cool, the air smelling sweetly of honeysuckle and roses. The couple strolled along the smoothly raked gravel avenues and soon found themselves in the clearing before the planetarium. "There's something very wrong, isn't there? Why doesn't anyone ever tell me anything?!?" she demanded, unaffected by the serene beauty surrounding them. 

"Mako-chan, onegai, don't get upset. No one has said anything because it was just finalized tonight, and we wanted you to be able to enjoy the ball." 

"We're not children, Nephrite! We can handle bad news. Now will you tell me what's going on?" 

He sighed and glanced around. "Come inside," he whispered, pulling her into the darkness of the planetarium. They had been here often since that first day, and he knew the way to the telescope without her guidance. "Do you know why I've brought you here?" he asked as he typed a series of numbers into the computer. 

"Supposedly there's some big news that you fancy-pants Earthlings are hiding from us Lunars," she said acidly. 

"Mako-chan, listen to me," he said urgently, taking hold of her arms, "Earth is under attack. We have no choice but to return... it's not what we want to do, any of us, but it's our only option." 

She pulled herself from his grasp and turned away, arms crossed over her chest. "When do you leave?" she whispered dully. 

"Tomorrow morning." 

She bowed her head, chestnut hair tickling her cheeks as a renegade tear fell. Angrily she wiped at her eyes and shoved the offending locks behind her ears. "So soon. I'm sure Minako knows all about this?" 

"She's the leader of the Senshi, Mako-chan. Queen Serenity-sama told Endymion, Malachite, and Minako this afternoon. I only know because I heard Endy-kun and Malachite discussing it." 

She spun around angrily, eyes flashing. "We should go with you, Nephrite! Our powers could be of great help--" 

"Nai, Mako-chan. Malachite and the Prince suspect that Beryl will soon attack the Moon. The Senshi are needed here." 

"But what if... what if..." she trailed off, and he moved closer, lifting her chin with a strong hand. 

"We'll be together, Makoto. Do you hear me? I'm not about to back to Earth and forget about you. How could I, my bright star, my sweet flower, how could I ever live without you?" His thumb against her cheek as he wiped away a tear was so gentle she almost couldn't bear it. He pulled her against his chest and whispered into her thick, rose-scented hair, "Lovely Makoto, don't cry. Please, my darling, I can't bear to see you cry. We'll be together again soon, I promise." 

"I love you, Nephrite," she whispered, so sad and so frightened that she almost couldn't breathe. 

He pushed her away, sapphire eyes wide and bright with moisture. "I have something for you, Mako-chan." He reached into some hidden pocket on his uniform and pulled out something small and shimmering. "I want to ask you to wait for me. I know it's unfair, because none of us have any idea how long we'll be away, but I love you, Makoto, and I want to be with you always. Marry me, Mako-chan. Say you'll have me." He held out the ring and she felt her breath catch in her throat. 

"It's... gods, Nephrite!" The small silver ring was fashioned into a rose blossom, but cupped inside the delicate petals was an emerald shaped like a star. It was quite honestly the most beautiful thing Makoto had ever seen. The breath was let out in a rush. "You ask as though there's some chance in all the Universe I could actually be capable of saying no." 

He grinned sheepishly and slid the ring onto her finger. "I didn't want to seem presumptuous." 

"I just wish I could come with you, Nephrite! If the Senshi helped you defeat Beryl on Earth, then--" 

"Don't make me say it, Mako-chan," he pleaded softly. He knew that neither of them wanted to consider the prospect that Beryl would win, but from what he'd heard Mal-kun and the Prince saying earlier... he couldn't repress an involuntary shudder. 

At last the brown-haired girl shook her head. "We won't think about it any more tonight. I love you, Nephrite, and I always will. No matter what happens with Beryl, I'll be here waiting for you." 

He smiled and kissed her long and sweet. "You are a gift from the stars, my Mako-chan, and I don't know what I'd do without you." 

Makoto grinned, arms wrapped tightly around his waist. "Aren't you glad you'll never have to find out!?" 

He didn't reply for a moment, and she glanced up at him in concern. On his face was a look of rapture like she had never seen before. Something... she glanced over her shoulder at the telescope's large display screen and laughed brightly. "Oh, Nephrite, isn't it lovely!" she cried. 

It looked to her as though diamonds were streaking through the black velvet of the sky, one after another. She laughed again and squeezed him tightly. "It's a good omen, Nephrite," she said of the shower. "It means we're destined to be happy together forever... I just know it does!" 

"Hai, Mako-chan, I do believe you're right." These happy, hopeful words were belied by the strange shadows haunting his normally brilliant sapphire eyes.   
@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@- 

Lita awoke with a start, surprised out of the strange dream by the sound of one of the temple's screens being pushed aside. As she stretched out the cramps in her muscles, Raye entered Serena's room with a small smile. "I'm sorry to wake you," she said quietly, resting her hand on Serena's forehead for a moment. 

"It's all right. I just dozed off for a second." 

"You weren't dreaming?" the miko asked, remembering all the vivid dreams she'd had of the Silver Millennium after meeting Jay Dalinger. 

"I... well... yes, actually. Raye, do you think Neil Forrester is Nephrite?" she asked in a rush. The issue had been worrying her since her first date with Neil, and it was something that could be ignored no longer. 

The dark-haired girl frowned thoughtfully. "It seems logical that he would be, doesn't it? First Jay-Jadeite and I, then Malachy-Malachite and Mina... now Neil-Nephrite and you; it follows the pattern, ne?" 

"I don't like it, Raye, not at all! What if he isn't like Jay and Malachy? What if this nice-guy thing is just an act, and he's really here to avenge Beryl or something?" 

"Lita... I know you weren't around when we fought Nephrite, but has anyone told you the story?" 

"No, but what does that have to do with anything?" 

"Beryl froze Jadeite in a state just as evil as the one we battled against; Sailor Moon killed Malachite at the height of his power; but Nephrite's death was completely different. Have you ever heard Molly mention someone named Maxfield Stanton?" 

Lita's green eyes darkened as she frowned. "He died, didn't he? Molly was in love with him, but he died strangely. What does he have to do with -- gods, Raye, you aren't saying that Maxfield Stanton was--" 

"Nephrite. That's exactly what I'm saying. Zoisite had some goons kidnap Molly as bait to trap Nephrite and get his Star Crystal from him. Nephrite did rescue her, and Zoisite branded him a traitor. He died in Molly's arms from a wound inflicted by a youma. It was horribly sad." 

"If Neil is Nephrite, then why isn't he using the name Maxfield Stanton?" 

Raye shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe he doesn't remember anything about that. You should introduce him to Molly and see what happens." 

"Oh, right; he takes one look at her, gets his memory back and leaves me in the dust. Yippee," she said sarcastically. 

"I don't think that would happen, Lita." She bit her lower lip and looked away. "Maybe you should talk to Mina about this. I'm sure she has some of the same worries about Mal and Zoisite -- if Zoisite ever shows up -- despite what Malachy has said about the subject. Or maybe you should just talk to Neil about it. I mean, if Jay and Malachy are any indication, then just mentioning should be enough to make him remember." 

"And if he's not Nephrite? Then what should I do? Raye... I love Neil, but in the past I loved Nephrite. If they aren't the same person, then... should I dump Neil and sit around waiting for Nephrite?" 

She turned back and took her friend's hands in her own. "Lita, relax. You're having the Silver Millennium dreams, aren't you? Mina and I did, too. None of us can remember what Nephrite looks like, and I bet you can't from your dream, either. It all lines up. Go talk to him. Tell him about being Sailor Jupiter and see what he says. Regardless of whether or not he's Nephrite, if you love him, he needs to know about you being a senshi." 

Lita sighed and raised herself to her feet. "You're right, of course. I'll go talk to him right now. He should be at work, but he's never busy. Thanks, Raye. I really appreciate your help on this." With a smile, the tall girl dashed out the door and away from the temple. 

End IV 


	5. Heart's Thunder 5

Cycle of Our Souls: Heart's Thunder   
Part V 

Raven Moon   


* * *

Disclaimers, notes, etc:   
Sailor Moon and characters contained therein do not belong to me. It's really not a terribly complex concept. :) 

Enjoy the story and review me!!   


* * *

************************************   
Raye Hino is not a stupid girl, that much is for sure... so why didn't I follow her advice? I wanted to... I _meant_ to... I went to Neil's office that day prepared to tell him about Sailor Jupiter and Molly and Beryl and Nephrite, the whole thing! Yet somehow I didn't. Somehow I walked out of there having told him absolutely nothing. I'm such a coward! 

I have this idea in my head, this vision of him remembering and deciding that he was a fool for loving me in the Silver Millennium and an even bigger fool for loving me now, now when I have no kingdom or title to stand behind, now when I'm just Lita Kino, orphan and average middle school girl. 

But even that isn't true: how can a Sailor Senshi be average? We're special, different... we're set apart from our peers because we have no peers, not really. Is that why we're destined to be with Endymion's guardians? It makes sense, really; a balance is formed that can't be broken. 

So how does all of this relate to what's happening with Serena? How can the presence of the Generals help her? I have to find out for sure if Neil's Nephrite for Serena's sake if nothing else. If she can only be brought back by the combined power of the senshi and the generals, then the generals must be found... and my own selfishness can't come before Serena's health. 

I'll tell him. I'm making him dinner tonight, and I'll tell him then. I'll just come out and say it: "Hi, Neil, welcome. Guess what? I'm Sailor Jupiter and you're a baddie named Nephrite who betrayed his prince for the sake of power promised by an evil queen. Despite this, we're destined to be together forever and ever. Tea?" Hmmm... maybe the direct approach isn't the best idea in this case. We'll see, I guess.   
************************************ 

Lita checked her appearance in the mirror one last time. She was wearing a short, pale green dress, ivy embroidered along the collar and sleeves. Her hair was down from its ponytail, and she tucked it behind one ear impatiently. Stupid hair. Why did she go and listen to Mina anyway? Before she could work herself into sufficient annoyance to put it up again, the doorbell rang. She took a deep, calming breath and hurried to answer it. 

"Hi, beautiful," Neil said, presenting her with a gorgeous bouquet of white lilies and kissing her on the cheek. 

She grinned brightly, problems momentarily forgotten. "Arigato, Neil! They're so lovely. Come in; I'll put them in some water." 

He followed her into the kitchen and took a deep breath. "It smells delicious in here, Lita! I skipped lunch today, so I'm starved." 

"Good," she said, motioning for him to sit down, "because I made enough food for an army. And um..." She had her back to him as she stood at the sink making a big production of arranging the lilies in a large vase. 

"Something wrong?" he asked, pulling a little black box from his pocket and checking the contents worriedly before putting it back. 

"Wrong? Nai, not _wrong_, exactly... I just want to talk to you about something," she finished brightly, turning and placing the vase in the center of the table. 

"Oh," he replied, relieved, "well, there's something I want to talk to you about, too. Do you mind if I go first?" he asked hesitantly. 

She chewed on her lower lip a moment and turned away again, this time to stare out the kitchen window. "Uh-uh, go ahead," she said, stomach tied in a knot of nervous anticipation. 

He frowned at her back and moved to put a hand on her shoulder. "Lita..." 

Sensing his concern, she turned around quickly, wiping at her cheek as she did so. "Gomen, I just had something in my eye," she told him. 

Wondering at the tears brightening her emerald eyes, he traced his fingertips along her cheek slowly. "Lita, what's the matter? Did something happen to Serena?" 

"I'm fine, Neil. What is it you wanted to talk to me about?" 

"Ah, well..." He cleared his throat nervously and she couldn't help but smile. Cool, calm, collected Neil Forrester _nervous_? "I don't know if you realize this, Lita, but I'm just a little bit... well... crazy about you." 

The smile broadened into a grin. "Only a little bit? That's too bad, because I'm _way_ crazy about you." 

He grinned sheepishly. "Ok, I guess you've caught me: I'm wild, crazy, mad, insane, loony in love with you, Lita... and I wanted to give you this." He held out the little black box with a tender smile. "I know how much you love flowers, especially roses, and the emerald's for your eyes... and I think you can pretty much figure out why it's shaped like a star." 

The ring... it was the Silver Millennium ring. She couldn't say that she was surprised. "Oh, Neil," she murmured at last, "it's so beautiful... more beautiful even than in my dream." 

"Your dream?" 

"Shh," she said, pressing her fingertips against his lips. "Don't say anything. Please, just... just be quiet and let me enjoy this moment." _While it lasts._ She stared up at him, at his sapphire eyes, his curling auburn hair, his strong, beautiful profile; yes, it was a face she knew well, a face that haunted her dreams and vague, silvery memories from some long-forgotten time far, far in her past. But, some part of her reasoned, it was also a face she knew from _now_, Neil Forrester's face, the face of the man she loved then _and_ now. 

He kissed her softly, sensing some sudden change in her, some awakening or realization that he didn't understand, and slid the ring on her finger. "I love you, Lita." 

"I love you too, Neil," she whispered against his lips. They stood still, just holding one another, for a long time. Lita knew the moment would have to end sometime, that he would let her go and she would tell him the truth about everything, but until then she was going to enjoy this as long as she could. 

"Tell me, Lita," he said softly, the words muffled by her hair. 

"Tell you what?" 

"Whatever you need to. You said you wanted to talk to me about something." 

She pulled away and took a few steps back. "You probably won't believe me." 

"Why wouldn't I? Lita, whatever you have to say, it's all right." 

The corners of her mouth lifted in a rueful little smile. "If only..." She shook her head. "Listen, Neil, there are things about me you don't know, things you can't even imagine. I'm not who you think I am." 

"You're not Lita Kino? You're not the woman I love?" he asked teasingly. 

She let out a long sigh. "I'm... I'm more than just Lita Kino. Do you remember when I told you that my favorite planet is Jupiter? And you asked me why and I said I had my reasons? Well, I do... and they're kinda strange." 

"What? Lita, what does this have to do with Jupiter?" he asked, confused. 

"Not so much Jupiter itself as... well, _Sailor_ Jupiter... or, as I like to call her... um, _me_. I'm Sailor Jupiter, Neil," she finally managed to spit out. "I know that you don't believe me -- hell, I didn't really believe it at first -- but I'm not lying to you." She pulled out her transformation pen with another rueful smile. "I could show you if you'd like." 

"Nai..." he murmured, his head spinning. "I... I believe you, Lita. I don't know why, because I don't believe in Sailor Moon, but I... I don't think you'd lie to me." He looked up at her through thick bangs with a hopeful smile. "You wouldn't, would you? Lie to me, I mean." 

"No, Neil, I wouldn't... which is why I'm not through. Not only am I Sailor Jupi-ter, but you're... all right, see, it's kind of a long story. A thousand years ago we all lived on the Moon, and I was the princess of Jupiter and a guardian of the Moon princess, and you were a guardian of the prince of Earth. A woman named Queen Beryl somehow turned you and your fellow generals against the prince and you became evil. The Moon Kingdom was destroyed, and the queen sent us all into the future... and here we are. 

"You were reborn as well, and my friends fought you as Nephrite, evil minion of Beryl. That was before I knew I was Sailor Jupiter, so I don't remember you that way... I remember you as the Nephrite I knew on the Moon. Do you remember me?" This last was said with such desperate hope that it gave him pause... but not much pause. 

"Lita... Lita, what are you talking about? Fine, you're Sailor Jupiter. I can accept that. But all the rest of it!?" He shook his head disbelievingly and she stepped back, stung. 

"I thought you said you knew I would never lie to you, Neil!" 

"That was before you went completely bonkers. You think I'm the reincarnation of some general from a thousand years ago? Not only that, but I was _evil_? I fought the Sailor Senshi? Why wouldn't I remember that, Lita?!" 

"I don't know!! Listen, Neil, you aren't the first! You know Jay and Malachy, Raye and Mina's boyfriends? They were generals, too! Jay is Jadeite and Malachy is Malachite... do you remember _them_?" 

"No! I don't remember any of this, Lita!" 

"What about Molly? Raye said... Raye said you loved her before, when you were posing as Maxfield Stanton here on Earth. She said you died in Molly's arms." 

She was weeping now, weeping as he had never seen her, and it frightened him. Could there be some truth to this insanity? She seemed to believe it, and... no! It just wasn't possible. "Get this straight, Kino-san," he said, his voice like ice and steel, "I don't know what you're talking about. I think I should be going now." 

She stared up at him with wide, horrified eyes. "Neil, matte! I'm telling you the truth!" 

"I'm sure you _think_ you are. You have the wrong person, Kino-san." He was almost to the door by this time, and it was all he could do not to run from the apartment at top speed. 

"The ring, Neil! You gave me the same ring on the Moon the night before you left with Endymion and the other generals. We were in the planetarium, do you remember? You told me you were leaving for Earth, and I was angry with you for not telling me sooner. You gave me the ring and swore you'd always love me, and there was a meteor shower! We decided it was a good omen..." She trailed off hopelessly, somehow sensing that she would never be able to get through to him. 

He stared at her with cold, hard eyes, struggling to overcome the emotions her words created within him. "Good-bye, Kino-san." With that he was gone, leaving a sobbing, heartbroken Lita Kino behind. 

_She's insane, that's the only explanation,_ he told himself. S_he had some vivid dreams and suddenly she thinks they're real. She's gone completely 'round the twist. It's good that I found out now, before... before what? Before I fell in love? Too damn late for that!_

He was walking down the sidewalk at a furious pace, trying to put as much dis-tance between himself and Lita's apartment as he could. In his confusion, he had totally forgotten the car he had driven there. Before he knew it he was running, running hard and fast, running straight for the park where they had first met. 

It seemed but a moment later he was standing before the fountain, his mind flooded with memories. He would never forget how she had looked the night of the meteor, how the moonlight had made her face soft and sweetly beautiful in a way she would never allow it to be under the harsh, glaring light of the sun. His mind flashed strangely, and the vision of his Lita in the moonlight was superimposed over the image of another girl, a girl who looked so nearly like Lita that they could be twins. 

This second girl seemed... different somehow, though. She had an air of majesty about her, as though she was someone who was used to being deferred to without even realizing it. He shook his head to clear away the image, but it seemed to have opened a floodgate of similar memories. With a groan of pain, he sank to the ground beside the fountain, holding his head in his hands. 

And he remembered. 

@–@–@–@–@–@–@–@–@–@–@–@–@–@–@–@–   
Nephrite opened his eyes to be greeted with... nothing. Darkness. What had just happened? Somehow they'd been teleported to someplace other than the Earth Palace, and then that... that... _woman_ had appeared. Now he was here, wherever in Tartarus _here_ was. 

He turned in a completely circle in a vain attempt to figure out where he might be. Blackness stretched around him on all sides, with no light to break the deep monotony. It was so dark that he couldn't even see the hand he waved before his face. A deep, chilling fear took hold of his heart, and he tried to ignore it. 

"Hello?" he called tentatively. The word echoed and reechoed, though he couldn't see anything for the sound to echo _off_ of. 

Suddenly the air seemed to shimmer and Makoto materialized before his outstretched, groping hands. "Mako-chan!" he cried, surprised and delighted. 

The beautiful girl laughed cruelly. "The _stars_, Nephrite? Really! What a silly thing to put your faith in! You're a fool! Good-bye, Nephrite. Enjoy your _solitude_." She hissed this last word, and he cringed. Still laughing, she turned and disappeared into the darkness. 

"Mako-chan?!" he demanded, mystified. "Mako-chan!!" The echoes were desolate enough to crush him, and he covered his ears in something akin to pain. He took a deep breath to calm his frayed nerves, and slowly he began to relax. He just needed to meditate, that was all. If he could enter into a trance he could get in touch with the movement of the stars. 

Quite suddenly he realized that he truly was all alone in this black abyss. He could find no energy traces that came from his connection to the Heavens. "No!" he murmured, and even that echoed back at him mockingly. He began to run across the slippery, obsidian surface as fast as he could, but there was no end to the unnaturally deep, evil night. "NO!!" He was bereft, utterly and completely cut off from everything he had ever known and taken comfort in. 

As he ran, a sound rose from all around him, blanketing him in its horror. It was a laugh, a vile cackle that he recognized with revulsion "This is your Hell, Nephrite. There are no stars here, no friends or family or loved ones, no one to tell you what to do or offer you guidance. That can all change if you come to me, my shitennou. You know you cannot resist." 

His scream of pain filled the desolate space, and Beryl laughed again. 

* * *

"To tell you the truth, Ami-chan, I'm a little... well, frankly, I'm scared," Makoto confessed to her friend as they stared at the ranks of youma advancing toward them. 

"Of them? Since when have you ever been afraid of battle?" 

"Nai, not of the battle... Ami-chan, what if what Rei-chan said last night is true? What if they're dead?" She whispered this last word, afraid that if he said it too loudly the Fates might hear and decide to take scissors to the precious threads that belonged to the four Earth Generals. 

The blue-haired Mercurial stared at the other girl in shock. "Don't say that, Mako-chan! Rei is wrong about this, I know she is. Don't you think the prince would have sent us word if something that drastic had happened on Earth?" 

The brunette lifted her eyes to the glowing blue orb that hung in the sky and smiled wanly. "You would think he'd have that much sense... but you never can tell about those Earthlings." She grinned down at Ami and the tension was broken. 

"Look sharp, Mako-chan," she said quickly, "here they come!" 

And come they did. Wave after wave of youma attacked the Moon's forces, and the defenders were gradually loosing ground. Makoto was right in the middle of a celebratory dance after having taken out six at a time with her Thunder Dragon when she happened to glance over her shoulder at the Moon Palace. _Gods, it's so close!!_ she thought, mini-victory forgotten completely. 

The sight seemed to bring her back to reality, and she looked all around her, stricken by the body-strewn battlefield. Never in her life had Makoto seen anything so... horrifying. Blood soaked the silver soil, and even the pale light couldn't disguise the redness of it. Her stomach lurched, and she probably would have lost her breakfast if something even more startling hadn't caught her attention. 

The youma had stopped fighting. 

Glancing around, she quickly located Minako and began making her way to her leader's side. "What's happened?" she heard Ami ask. "Have we won?" 

Tugging on the end of her ponytail, Makoto stared hard at the enemy ranks and let out a little gasp. "I don't think so," she whispered, "look!" It was the Earth Generals; she would know them anywhere. What...? She shook her head and began paying attention to the scene being played out between Minako and Malachite. 

"...Are you here to join us?" she caught Minako-chan asking. 

"Nai, Sailor Venus," she was shocked to hear him say, "we have come to destroy you in the name of the Negaverse!" 

Aghast, she turned her eyes to Nephrite, who nodded coldly. "He speaks the truth, Sailor Jupiter. The stars have chosen a new path for us; a path that leaves no room for your pathetic Silver Millennium!" 

"Why? Nephrite, _why_?!" His only answer was a blast of power that sent her flying. Anger surged through her and she responded with an explosion of her own. "I don't want to fight you, Nephrite!" she cried, cradling an injured arm. 

"I don't believe you have any choice, _girl_!" She screamed as another rush of magic ripped through her body. She fell, gasping, and gathered her last bit of strength into a powerful bolt of lightning that sent him crashing to the ground next to her. 

"Nephrite!" she murmured, crawling over to him. "Oh, Nephrite..." She rested her head on his chest and listened to her world falling apart around her in the slowing beats of his heart. 

"It's over, Mako-chan," he whispered, the Nephrite she knew and loved returning to his eyes. "All that Queen Serenity has built is dying. I wish only that I had not a hand in its destruction." 

"I love you, Nephrite," she breathed. 

"And I you, Makoto. You will always be... my... my guiding star." And so they died in each other's arms, bathed in blood and the bright, beautiful silver light of the Moon.   
@–@–@–@–@–@–@–@–@–@–@–@–@–@–@–@– 

End V 


	6. Heart's Thunder 6

Cycle of Our Souls: Heart's Thunder  
Part VI

Moon Raven

* * *

Disclaimers, notes, all that jazz:  
Sailor Moon not mine! You no sue! Ok... uh... whatever... 

Outward and onward... the quote at the beginning is, as always, Shawn Mullins. I love him dearly and am writing a play based on one of his songs; I would never want to do anything to piss him off, so I give him credit where credit is due!

This is the third chapter in the "Cycle of Our Souls" series, behind "Cycle of Our Souls: Heart's Love." The fourth and final chapter is "Cycle of Our Souls: Heart of Ice." Look for it if you enjoyed this one!

Enjoy!

* * *

"I am here now,  
You've got the best of me.  
So go ahead now,  
Go ahead and take the rest of me.  
There are two of us,  
There are two of us - it's the cycle of our souls.  
Yet we try and change and rearrange the way the story goes.  
That's the way the story goes..."  
-from "Cycle of Our Souls" by Shawn Mullins

* * *

"Oh, Gods, Lita," he moaned into his hands, "what have I done? What have I _done_?" The memories of his betrayal sang through him like the wind through the strings of a harp gone dreadfully out of tune. "I'm so sorry," he murmured in agony. "I never meant to… _ohh, Gods_!" 

He had to go find her, to tell her… but no, why would she want to listen to him _now_? Surely she would soon remember this last bit, this horror that was the truth about his past self. How could he face her again, knowing what he knew now? And that knowledge combined with the way he had spoken to her when she tried to tell him the truth… he shuddered in revulsion and pressed his body against the stone that felt cold as ice against his back.

"Well you've made a fine mess of things," a voice said dryly from above him.

"Excuse me?" Neil demanded, annoyed, not bothering to uncover his face.

"If you continue to sit there and wallow in your own self-pity, her pain will turn into anger, and anger into hatred. If that happens, you'll loose her forever. And if _that_ happens, the princess will die. Then what will become of the prince? Of Crystal Tokyo? Of Small Lady? Broad and strong as they are, Nephrite dear, I'm not sure even _your_ shoulders could bear such a weight."

"What are you talking about?" he demanded, searching for the source of the lightly mocking voice. It was familiar to him somehow, as familiar as the memories he had just experienced. It was a man's voice, yet occasionally there was a soft, effeminate quality to it. "Who are you?" he asked at last.

"Flattered as I am by your interest, that is not a question I can answer at this time. Go to her, Nephrite. Tell her all that you have remembered, and accept the love she offers you. Without it, you're doomed. Without it… we're _all_ doomed." And then he - whoever _he_ was - was gone as though he had never been.

_'Go to her,'_ he remembered with a frown. _'Go to her,' indeed! Go to her so that she may slam the door in my face and tell me - rightly enough - to go straight back to the Hell from which I arose?_

But some other part of him, a more rational part, knew that the man had spoken the truth. Though he had no idea who Small Lady was, or why he should care about some place called _Crystal Tokyo_, he knew that Lita's friend Serena was the princess... and that Darien Chiba must be the prince.

_Good Gods, I hadn't even thought about that!_ But then, quietly, he remembered Lita mentioned Jay and Malachy, and he knew that Darien was friends with the two of them. _If everyone - especially Raye, Mina and Darien - can forgive Jadeite and Malachite, might Lita possibly forgive me?_

Suddenly he realized that the cold stone of the fountain's base was no longer behind him, and that he was walking down the sidewalk toward Lita's apartment. "Well," he murmured bemusedly, "I guess this means I'm going to take his advice after all."

He walked through the lobby and into the elevator, hitting the button for the top floor of the building, knowing perfectly well it wasn't the one she lived on. He had to work up his nerve first, so he rode quietly to the top, then down again, then up, then down... on and on. Finally he stopped on the top floor, the doors opened, closed again and he did nothing. "You're a genius, Forrester," he said aloud. He reached out a shaking hand to hit the button for Lita's floor when the elevator suddenly started moving.

It stopped and the doors opened to reveal the very girl he was on his way to see. "Neil!" she demanded upon looking up to see him. "What are you doing on an elevator going _down_?"

"See, it's like this..." he began, wondering what exactly he was going to tell her. "I went to the park, and I remembered everything that happened back in the Silver Millennium. I realized that you were telling the truth - I guess I knew that all along, really - and I figured that you would hate me forever for being so mean to you. But then all of a sudden I heard this weird voice that told me to come talk to you so that we could save the princess and protect Small Tokyo and Crystal Lady or _something_;" the doors began to close and he hit the open button testily; "it was really quite confusing. So then I walked over here and got in the elevator, but I was too scared to come talk to you, so I've been riding up and down for the last..." He checked his watch. "...thirty minutes."

The dark-haired girl stood, open-mouthed, at this haphazard spill of words coming from the always eloquent and succinct Neil Forrester. Before she could reply, the doors started to close again. He pulled her into the small space with him and allowed them to close behind her. "Look, Lita, I know you have no reason to ever speak to me again. I was horrible to you, especially in light of everything I did... back then. I betrayed you and my prince and _everything_. But... you need to know that I love you. I've always loved you. No matter what happens, no matter what you say tonight, I always _will _love you."

"You've really been in the elevator for half an hour?" she said at last, grasping onto the least confusing thing he'd said.

"What? Oh, yeah... I'm getting a little dizzy from going up and down so much," he said sheepishly.

She looked down at her shoes for a moment, and a smile began to spread across her face even as tears began to collect in her emerald eyes. "When you walked out tonight I thought I'd never see you again. I thought I'd lost you forever. I thought I was wrong about... about everything. I didn't know if I was glad you were gone or not. Supposedly it's my destiny to be with Nephrite, and if you weren't him, then my love for you went against everything written in the stars about my fate."

He smiled softly and lifted her chin with a gentle hand. "The stars know all, Lita. They would never have allowed us to meet and fall and love were it not meant to be."

"Neil, what you did in the Silver Millennium was a long time ago, and Beryl had control of you. As for your reaction to my news... well, I can't say as I blame you, really. To remember all of this so suddenly is terribly hard."

His heart stopped and he clutched her hand desperately. "Does that mean you forgive me?" he whispered breathlessly.

She smiled up at him fondly. "Of course I do, baka. I believe I would forgive you anything... don't you know that I love you more than life?"

His jaw fell open, but rather than say a word, he swooped her up to kiss her long and hard. "Oh, my Lita, my darling, my princess, my goddess, my guiding star... how I love you. How I love you!" he murmured into the side of her neck as he held her.

"I love you too," she told him softly. After a moment, she shifted away to look up into his brilliant sapphire eyes. "Would you do something for me, Neil?"

"Anything in the Universe, Lita," he replied reverently.

"Then get me out of this elevator before I pass out from claustrophobia!" she cried suddenly.

He laughed, hit the open button, lifted her in his arms and carried her back to her apartment. Even after the door closed behind them, the sound of his warm, rich, love-filled laughter seemed to fill the hallway and the box-like compartment of the elevator.

End VI

* * *

I just opened a new section on my website devoted to the Dark Kingdom Shitennou. Come check it out! I'm looking for good senshi/shitennou fanfic to post, so please feel free to suggest some or to send me yours!

Check out "Cycle of Our Souls: Heart of Ice" if you liked this, and please review me!


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